The TCU men’s basketball program will join the Big East Conference next year. But first, head coach Jim Christian’s squad will have to play through a tough schedule of games in their final season in the Mountain West.

The team announced its 2011-12 schedule Tuesday, and more than half of the games slated are against teams who advanced to postseason play last year.

The Frogs open the season Nov. 11 when they host Florida Gulf Coast in the first of 16 home games at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. One week later they’ll head to the U.S. Virgin Islands to participate in the Paradise Jam Tournament. They’ll be guaranteed a game against Virginia on Nov. 18, but depending on how the tournament unfolds they could also face Marquette and Ole Miss.

Other non-conference highlights include home dates with Texas Tech (Dec. 6) and Nebraska (Dec. 10) and road games at USC on Dec. 19. and cross-town rival SMU on Feb. 8.

The team will begin conference action Jan. 14 when they travel to Colorado State. The MountainWest Sports Network will carry all 14 of the Frogs’ conference games.
TCU went 11-22 last year and finished 1-15 in conference play.